Retractable hair lift

ABSTRACT

The disclosed retractable hair lift has a hollow case serving to contain a long-toothed hair lift member when retracted and serving as a handle when the long teeth are projected. A finger piece extends from the hair lift member through a first wall of the case for sliding the hair lift member to either desired position. The first wall also has detents near the opposite ends of the case, to arrest the hair lift member in either extreme position, and the opposite wall has integral spring tongues to render the detents effective. The spring tongue can be squeezed for gripping the movable hair lift member when firm control is wanted. The hair lift is slim and compact since its top-to-bottom dimension is a minimum.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Abraham Sidelman Manchester, Ga. [21] Appl. No. 832,122 [22] Filed June 11,1969 [45] Patented Oct. 5, 1971 [73] Assignee 1-1. Goodman & Sons Inc.

Kearny, NJ.

[54] RETRACTABLE HAIR LIFT 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 132/9 [51] Int. Cl A45d 24/00 [50] Field of Search 132/9, 11, 54

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,424,174 1/1969 Battaglia 132/11 Primary Examiner Louis C. Mancene Assistant Examiner.l. Q. Lever Attorney-Paul S. Martin ABSTRACT: The disclosed retractable hair lift has a hollow case serving to contain a long-toothed hair lift member when retracted and sewing as a handle when the long teeth are projected. A finger piece extends from the hair lift mcmber through a first wall of the case for sliding the hair lift member to either desired position. The first wall also has detents near the opposite ends of the case, to arrest the hair lift member in either extreme position, and the opposite wall has integral spring tongues to render the detents effective. The spring tongue can be squeezed for gripping the movable hair lift member when firm control is wanted. The hair lift is slim and compact since its top-to-bottom dimension is a minimum.

RETRACTABLE HAIR LIFT The present invention relates to hair lifts that are used in arranging ladies hair, in the type of hairdo where height is a feature.

The hair lift here involved has long teeth for penetrating deep into the coiffure, to fluff it and arrange it. The teeth are part of a unit that is retractable into a case that serves as a con tainer for compactness, to occupy minimum space in a lady's purse. A feature of the invention resides in providing opposite walls of the case with a detent and a spring, 'respectively, providing a secure and compact arrangement for holding the long-toothed hair-lift member in extended position for use. As a further feature, finger pressure can be applied to the spring tongue, so that the slidable unit can be held firmly when desirable. A second spring and detent at the opposite end of the case holds the long-toothed member retracted.

The nature of the invention, including the foregoing and other features and advantages, will become more fully apparent from the following detailed desci'iption of an illustrative example which is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a hair lift embodying the features of the invention, a finger piece being removed for clarity and its support being shown in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the hair lift of FIG. I, viewed from the plane 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3,is a bottom plan-view of the hair lift of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view like FIG. 2 except that the movable hair lift member is in its retracted position.

In the drawings, the illustrative hair lift includes case formed of spaced-apart walls 12, 14 of molded plastic. The walls have abutting marginal ribs sealed together and forming a hollow case.

A hair lift member 16 (indicated generally by the arrow) is movable between projected and retracted positions relative to case 10 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, respectively. Member 16 includes long teeth 18 as of resilient wire and a bar 20 of molded plastic, in which an end of each tooth 18 is embedded. Support 22 extends through slot 24 in wall 12 to finger piece 25. Integral detents 26 and 28 project down from wall 12, and extend across the case. Each detent has a shoulder spaced from its adjacent end of the case by a distance large enough to contain bar 20 plus only a little clearance space. The detent prevents bar 20 from shifting out of the selected position by abutting a lateral face of bar 20.

The side of each detent opposite to the abutment shoulder has a gradual slope that provides for camming cooperation with bar 20 during movement of the bar from a midpart of the case toward the ends. Wall 14 has integral spring tongues 30 and 32 that are ordinarily flush with the exterior surface of wall 14 and which are thickened at their ends. The end of each tongue is disposed opposite the space for bar 20 between a related detent 26 or 28 and the adjacent end of case 10. The space between wall 12 and the other wall 14 provides for clearance from bar 20 in the middle of its range of movement. But because the ends of the tongues are thickened, bar 20 forces them to deflect (see tongue 32 in FIG. 2 and tongue 30 in FIG. 4) when bar 20 is in either detented position.

In its deflected condition, each tongue is stressed and biases bar 20 into its detented position. For releasing the bar for movement out of the projected position, finger piece 25 is pressed, downward as viewed in FIG. 2, thereby depressing bar 20 and deflecting tongue 32 further, as represented by the dotted lines. The finger piece can be shifted toward the opposite end of the case as soon as bar 20 clears detent 28. As a practical detail, the individual passages in case 10 through which teeth 18 extend are enlarged transversely to accommodate the just-described lateral shift of bar 20. The movement of bar 20 toward the opposite end of the case is easy to do and involves no wear or galling of the plastic parts since everywhere except for tongues 30, 32 and detents 26, 28 there is clearance space for bar 20 between the inside surfaces of walls l2 and 14. As the bar is forced toward the fully retracted posmon (FIG. 4) the bar moves between the sloping faces of detent 26 and tongue 30, developing spring bias to retain bar 20 in position when fully retracted.

In the projected position of the hair lift member 16, it can move about to a limited extend when in use. If this is objectionable, teeth 18 can be held firm by applying squeezing pressure against one wall 12 and tongue 32 of the other wall, indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2.

The described construction involves very few components and is quite economical to make. The spring tongues form integral parts of a wall of the case, so that there is no need to increase the thickness of the hair lift beyond the slim dimension represented by the thicknesses of the first and second walls 12 and 14 plus bar 20 and a minimal amount of clearance. The described hair lift is highly successful in use and economical to make. However, its construction can be modified by those skilled in the art to use some of the novel features without others and to apply those features to like advantage in other related products. Therefore, the invention should be construed broadly in accordance with its full spirit and scope.

What is claimed is:

l. A retractable hair lift, including a hollow case having first and second walls and a hair lift member movable between extended and retracted positions relative to said case, said hair lift member comprising a bar in said case and plural parallel elongated teeth each having an end portion fixed to said bar and projecting transversely therefrom, said bar having a finger piece projecting through an elongated slot in said first wall of the case, said slot extending parallel to said teeth and being proportioned to accommodate said hair lift member both in its extended and retracted positions, said first wall of said case having a detent cooperating with said bar in the extended position of the hair lift member for blocking movement thereof toward the retracted position, and said second wall of the case having an integral spring formation that biases the bar toward said first wall of the case in the projected position of the hair lift member for maintaining the blocking relation between said bar and said detent.

2. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim I, wherein said spring fonnation can be squeezed for gripping the movable hair lift member firmly.

3. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim I, wherein there is clearance for said bar between said first and second walls in the middle portion of the range of movement of said bar for accommodating free movement of the hair lift member.

4. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim 1, wherein said bar and said hollow case including said spring formation and said detent have cooperating camming surfaces arranged to develop progressive increase of the spring pressure against the bar as the hair lift member is moved into its extended position.

5. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim I, wherein said first and second walls have a second detent and a second integral spring formation respectively, cooperable with the bar for maintaining the hair lift member in its retracted position.

6. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim 5, wherein there is clearance for the bar between said first and second walls of the case in the region between said detents so that the bar is freely movable in that region. 

1. A retractable hair lift, including a hollow case having first and second walls and a hair lift member movable between extended and retracted positions relative to said case, said hair lift member comprising a bar in said case and plural parallel elongated teeth each having an end portion fixed to said bar and projecting transversely therefrom, said bar having a finger piece projecting through an elongated slot in said first wall of the case, said slot extending parallel to said teeth and being proportioned to accommodate said hair lift member both in its extended and retracted positions, said first wall of said case having a detent cooperating with said bar in the extended position of the hair lift member for blocking movement thereof toward the retracted position, and said second wall of the case having an integral spring formation that biases the bar toward said first wall of the case in the projected position of the hair lift member for maintaining the blocking relation between said bar and said detent.
 2. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim 1, wherein said spring formation can be squeezed for gripping the movable hair lift member firmly.
 3. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim 1, wherein there is clearance for said bar between said first and second walls in the middle portion of the range of movement of said bar for accommodating free movement of the hair lift member.
 4. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim 1, wherein said bar and said hollow case inCluding said spring formation and said detent have cooperating camming surfaces arranged to develop progressive increase of the spring pressure against the bar as the hair lift member is moved into its extended position.
 5. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first and second walls have a second detent and a second integral spring formation respectively, cooperable with the bar for maintaining the hair lift member in its retracted position.
 6. A retractable hair lift in accordance with claim 5, wherein there is clearance for the bar between said first and second walls of the case in the region between said detents so that the bar is freely movable in that region. 